By Bonnie Buol Ruszczyk

We are all familiar with Black Friday. Most know about Cyber Monday too. Now, show of hands, how many of you have heard of Small Business Saturday? My guess is that most of you haven’t. It may be lesser-known but this is the most satisfying and personal of the bunch. Best of all, it’s stress-free, fun and rewarding.

Small Business Saturday is a day dedicated to encouraging shoppers to support their local small businesses during the busiest retail weekend of the year. Many people will automatically go to the large retailers like Target or Macy’s to do their holiday shopping. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with this; these stores provide jobs and income for many, many people and families. But in the midst of the hustle and bustle, why not invest a bit in your local community retailers as well?

As a small business, we completely understand how tough it can be to compete with larger competitors. Big businesses have deeper pockets and can order mass quantities of product at a lower cost. Frankly that’s why so many small towns have lost their bustling squares. Competing with Walmart’s prices was just too much for the little shops.

photo credit: barkingalien.blogspot.com

But here’s the thing…we love small businesses! They can really get to know their clients and customers, and develop relationships that make shoppers want to return again and again. I love that Alana calls me by name and asks about my dog when I step in to order flowers for a friend or pick up a quick gift for a client. It makes me feel good about spending money in her shop, and I enjoy shopping at her establishment, plain and simple. Neighborhood stores add the flavor and personal responsiveness that make a community feel like home. Remember how comfortable you felt in Mr. Hooper’s place on Sesame Street?

So we’d like to dedicate this post to all the small businesses out there. Go out and support the ones in your community, owned and operated by people just like you. To help, American Express (the creator and sponsor of Small Business Saturday) is offering a little extra incentive. If you have an American Express card, you can register your card through their website and receive $25 off of your statement if you spend at least $25 at a small business on Saturday.

To close, we’d like to share some of our favorite local businesses. We encourage you to pay them a visit if you are in the neighborhood this weekend. If you have a favorite small business, feel free to add their website in the comments section below. We’re all about sharing the love and finding out about some formerly unknown treasures too.

Happy Thanksgiving and Happy Small Business Saturday from Bonnie, Kelly and Sarah at BBR Marketing!

• Gitche Yah Yah
• Jazmin Spa (Kirkwood)
• Thinking Man Tavern
• Trackside Tavern
• Le Petit Marche
• Kirkwood Feed & Seed
• The Spotted Trotter
• Morelli’s Gourmet Ice Cream
• The Beehive